The Look: Sexy and Sideswept

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VIEW ALLThe side ponytail is back—but with a modern twist.
Make Waves
If your hair is straight: Mist volumizing spray over damp hair and set with hot rollers. Or use a texturizing spray to coax out curls.
If your hair is curly: Prep with a cream or serum and blow-dry straight. Add waves with a curling iron.
Go Sideways
Gather your hair to one side just below the nape of your neck. "You want the hair around your face to have a full, rounded shape," says stylist Oscar Blandi.
Loosen Up
Add romantic wisps around your face by freeing a few strands with a pick-style comb.
Photo: Shutterstock
Sexy and Sideswept: The Tool Kit

Sexy and Sideswept: The Tool Kit

Sexy and Sideswept: The Tool Kit

Sexy and Sideswept: The Tool Kit

The Look: Smooth and Chic

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VIEW ALLGet Sleek and Shiny
If your hair is straight: Prep dry hair with a thermal-protecting spray and smooth with a flatiron. Finish with a light mist of shine spray.
If your hair is curly: Layer a shine serum over a heat-styling spray to shield your curls from heat damage. Then blow-dry your hair straight and use a flatiron to add extra polish.
Part Smart
You don't want your hair to look plastered to your head, so make a deep part on the opposite side of your natural part. "This will give your hair built-in lift," says stylist Mark Garrison.
Fight Frizzies
A natural-bristle brush keeps your hair smooth as you pull it into a low ponytail. Touch up flyaways along the hairline with a fine-tooth comb coated with hairspray.
Photo: Shutterstock
Smooth and Chic: The Tool Kit

Smooth and Chic: The Tool Kit

Smooth and Chic: The Tool Kit

So Long, Scrunchie

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VIEW ALLUse these decorative elastics to dress up your ponytail.
Here: France Luxe Cone Ponytail Holder in Ivory Tokyo, $16
Photo: TED MORRISON
So Long, Scrunchie

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VIEW ALLJane Tran Animal Print Ponytail, $7.50 for three
Originally published in Ladies' Home Journal, July 2009.
Photo: TED MORRISON